To the casual observer and new comer to Thelema it appears that its teachings are very radical and new, and that these truths are unique to this system. Whilst this may seem to be the case, it is in fact not true. In this article, I will show that some of the truths of Thelema are found in that ancient Taoist text known as the Tao Teh Ching. Whilst it is true that other systems have some similarities with Thelema, it is the Tao, in my humble opinion, which comes the closest in essence to our law (that of Thelema).
I believe that the study of the Tao Teh Ching can help us to understand The Book of the Law a little better, and also that the Book of the Law can help us understand the Tao Teh Ching. One complements the other, but after a different manner.
It is assumed that the reader knows very little about one or both of these systems, and that a description of their basic tenets should proceed any real discussion. If the reader knows, or thinks they know, a lot about both, then he/she might be better of reading something else, as this article is designed for those new to this. If the reader is familiar with the Tao but not Thelema, it is hoped that he/she will be able, by comparing Taoist doctrine with what is said of Thelema, to come to some understanding of our Law. If the reader is familiar with Thelema but not the Tao, it is hoped that this article will inspire him/her to study the Tao Teh Ching and therefore come to a better understanding of our Law.
First of all I will discuss some of the basic tenets that go to make up the Law of Thelema.I want to make it very clear to the reader that it is against Thelemic principles to claim that ones interpretation of the Law is the only correct interpretation. The following are my interpretations of the Law that I have made for myself with reference to the writings of the Master Therion, and do not necessarily represent the only interpretation. The Comment at the end of the Book of the Law states that " All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for himself"{1}. The Law of Thelema can be expressed in 11 simple words: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."{2}, another seven words comment further on this law and tell us of its nature: "Love is the law, love under will."{3} These phrases are easily misinterpreted. The most common misinterpretation is that the Law of Thelema means that you can do what ever you like, that you can indulge in every whim and fancy. This is not true and I will attempt to give it some meaning momentarily. Another misinterpretation is that the Love spoken of is that sentimental slop dished up to us as '"Holy" by many Charlatans, Theosophists, and Newagers. This is not the case. Whilst love is mentioned quite a lot in the Book of the Law, nowhere is it referred to in a sentimental way. Other important phrases in the Book of the Law are: "Every man and every woman is a star"{4} and "Every number is infinite; there is no difference"{5}
The essence of the law of Thelema is that every one of us is an individual (a star) and that each one of us has a unique reason for being here. That reason is known as the True Will. The True Will is that to which we are best suited by our nature. We are to do our True Wills with one pointedness, and we are not to interfere in other people's wills. Each of us "Stars" is to move on our own proper orbit, the path of least resistance if you like. If we each stick to our own orbits there should be no clashing. If however someone was to stray from their orbit, and it does happen, then there may be a conflict. In such a case, it will be the person who strayed that will inevitably come out on the bad end of the stick. It should be noted though that "as brothers fight ye!" {6}. This means that the rules of Chivalry should be adhered to during combat and that respect should be given to the defeated "combatant". This sums up the Law of Thelema at it most basic level of understanding.
It is an enormously difficult task for me to describe the basics of the Tao. Its very nature is that it is indescribable. "The Tao that can be stated is not the eternal Tao"{7}. First we must settle on what the word "Tao" actually means. There is no real translation of this word into English and so it is very difficult to grasp its meaning. It has been Translated as reason, the way, and many others. For convenience I will adopt my favourite, "the way".
The basics of Taoist Doctrine are put forth in the book called the Tao Teh Ching (roughly translated as the Classic of the Way and its Virtue). The author of this book was a Chinese Sage known to us as Lao Tzu, which possibly means old man, or venerable master. This little book is the most frequently translated of all the Chinese Classics, and it deals with Lao Tzu's ideas on how we should approach such subjects as politics, cosmology, science, and our daily lives, to name but a few.
The basic thread that runs through all these themes is the application of non-action, or non-interference. Upon examination, both non-action, and non-interference are very similar, if not the same, and will be treated as such in this article.
How should I explain what is meant by non-action, and the practice of non-interference? It is very clear in my own mind what these terms mean, but there is a difficulty in putting those ideas across accurately. I should first of all explain that non-action does not mean absence of action, it is the performance of the one correct action for any given situation, it is to travel the path of least resistance. I will give you an analogy to help clarify its meaning. You have a blown up balloon and you slowly press your finger into its surface. If the balloon were to extend itself and actively try to fight your finger off, it would be practicing action, not non-action. If the balloon were to yield away from your finger at a pace faster than what you were pressing, it would be practicing action, not non-action. If the balloon neither rose to meet your pressing finger, nor ran from your fingers touch, nature dictates that after your finger was released, the balloon would return to its normal shape, its "natural state of rest", without any effort on its part. This is what is meant by non-action. As I stated, it is the path of least resistance, it is the one true course that should be adopted and it is the true way of nature. It could be said that the true nature of anything is a will to inertia, that is, non-action, and that the way to do this non-action is to "oppose no obstacle to the function of that true Nature"{8} (dare I say True Will?). The practicing Magician might be able to see the formula of Harpocrates at work here.
Now, what of non-interference? Everything that was said of non-action can be said of non-interference too but with one added extra. You are not to interfere in the affairs of another. If you look closely into the practice of non-action you will see that to not interfere in the affairs of others is already a part of its definition, thus you could say that non-action and non interference are the same. This is so because if you were to interfere in the affairs of another you would have to make an effort to leave your "natural state of rest" and "extend" yourself into their affairs, and thus, have action, not non-action.
I hope this has adequately explained the basics of the way of the Tao.
Most readers by now will already have been able to draw their own conclusions as to what the similarities between the two systems are. For those who need a little help it should be suffice to say that at the very basic level of both systems is the belief that one is to follow the path of least resistance. One is to follow this path, to do the correct action (the True Will, non-action) for any given moment and to not interfere in the affairs of others. The methods for achieving this are identical.
It is interesting to note that in the Book of the Law the universe is seen as the interplay of two qualities (I use the word 'qualities' for want of a better word), Nuit and Hadit. In the Tao Teh Ching the universe is seen as the interplay of two qualities, Tao and Teh. If you look closely into the definition of these terms you will find that Nuit is generally the same as Teh, and Hadit is very similar to Tao. I will leave it up to the reader to investigate these claims for himself/herself.
In closing, I hope that you, the reader, will have become a little familiar with what it means to go about doing your True Will. The study of the Tao Teh Ching can really help you to understand the Book of the Law a little better as it "fills in the gaps" so to speak. The same applies to the Tao Teh Ching with the Book of the Law. I recommend a thorough grounding in both.
I only have one more thing to say. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will. What else is there to say?
1. Liber AL : The Comment
2. Liber AL : 1:40
3. Liber AL: 1:57
4. Liber AL: 1:3
5. Liber AL: 1:4
6. Liber AL: 3:59
7. Tao Teh Ching: Verse 1
8. Liber Aleph (A.Crowley) : Chapter 29
Last updated on the 13.March.99